Patterns and Modelbuchs
Background
The 16th Century saw a proliferation
of pattern books or modelbuchs aimed at the domestic embroiderer as well
as the professional craftsman. In addition to pattern books designed specifically
for artisans, many other books were used by the domestic embroiderer as
a source of embroidery designs. These books fell into three main categories:
- Herbals -Herbals are books which describe the physical
characteristics and properties of herbs and other plants. John Gerard's
"Herbal or General History of Plants" has long been the most
famous English herbal. First published in 1597, it was republished in
1633 in an edition in which Thomas Johnson revised and enlarged the
original text.
Generally, the Latin and English (or common name for non-English
herbals) is given, as is a physical description, the place of growth,
the time of growth, uses (medicinal or culinary etc) and illustrations.
- Emblem - An emblem combines a picture and text for
the striking presentation of a message. For example, an emblem entitled
In astrologos alongside a picture of Icarus may at first seem mystifying,
but the epigram beneath the picture explains that astrologers like Icarus
get into trouble because they are overreaching their human limitations.
The emblem text concludes that humans should not inquire into the mysteries
that God has reserved for himself.Emblems were a popular subject for
16th century embroidery.
- Bestiary - A bestiary is a collection of short descriptions
about all sorts of birds, beasts and animals, both real and imaginary.
Often bestiary is too narrow a description, and the medieval term "natural
history" is more apt as stones, minerals, herbs and trees might
also be studied, especially in later periods. The bestiary became a
popular form in England in the 12th Century. One example of the late
medieval version of a bestiary is John_Maplet's A_Greene_Forest.
Two schools' medieval bestiary are known, each descended from early
Greek authors. The first type is very factual, transmitting myths
only through ignorance. Best known are the works of Pliny the Elder,
but a plethora of translations and works based on extended or condensed
versions of this existed.
The other kind of bestiary is not concerned with accurate descriptions
of the animals, but with using the animals to explain or portray a
message. Early medieval bestiaries use the animals to give a moralising
explanation of the animals traits and how that reflects upon Christianity.
From the 13th century onwards, "bestiaries of love" used
the stories of the animals as a vehicle for the male to woo a lady.
It tells fine messages about the desirable attributes of an animal,
and is meant to be a message about the man.
Period Pattern Books Online
Modern Reproductions of Period Books
- Bassee, Nicolas. "German Renaissance Patterns for Embroidery:
A Facsimile Copy of Nicolas Bass?e's New Modelbuch of 1568, with an
introduction by Kathleen Epstein". Austin: Curious Works Press.
ISBN 0-9633331-4-3.
- Gesner, Konrad. "Curious Woodcuts of Fanciful and Real Beasts:
A selection of 190 sixteenth-century woodcuts from Gesner's and Topsell's
natural histories". New York: Dover Publications, Inc. ISBN: 0-486-22701-4
- Hofer, Hans. "Ain new Formbuech'len der weyssen Arbeyt".
Nieuwkoop, Netherlands: Miland Publishers, 1968. (Facsimile of the 1545
edition published in Augsburg)
- Nourry, Claude and Saincte Louie[sic], Pierre de. "Patterns:
Embroidery - Early 16th Century". Berkeley, CA: Lacis, 1999. ISBN
1-891656-16-3.
- Shorleyker, Richard. "A Schole-House for the Needle: Produced
from the original book printed in 1632 and now in the private collection
of John and Elizabeth Mason". Much Wenlock, Shropshire: RJL Smith
& Associates, 1998.ISBN 1-872665-72-1.
- Sibmacher, Johan. "Baroque Charted Designs for Needlework".
New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1975. "This Dover edition,
first published in 1975, is an unabridged republication of the 1880
edition of Newes Modelbuch . . . . Inn Druck verfertigt, a work originally
published in Nuremberg in 1604. . ." ISBN 0-486-23186-0.
- Vinciolo, Federico. "Renaissance Patterns for Lace, Embroidery
and Needlepoint (An unabridged facsimile of the "Singuliers et
nouveaux pourtraicts" of 1587)". New York: Dover Publications,
Inc., 1971. ISBN 0-486-22438-4
- Newell, Kathryn. "Needlework Patterns from Renaissance Germany:
Designs recharted by Kathryn Newell from Johan Sibmacher's Sch?n Neues
Modelbuch, 1597". Boulder, CO: Costume & Dressmaker Press,
1999.
Modern Patterns from Period Sources
- Carroll-Mann, Robin (as Brighid ni Chiarain of Tethba). "Some
16th Century Border Patterns for Blackwork Embroidery," Tournaments
Illuminated, No. 92, Fall 1989, pp. 34-35.
- Salazar, Kim Brody (as Ianthe d'Averoigne). "The New Carolingian
Modelbook: Counted Embroidery Patterns from before 1600". Albuquerque,
New Mexico: The Outlaw Press, 1995. ISBN 0-9642082-2-9.
- Spies, Nancy. "Here By Wyverns: Hundreds of Patterns Graphed
from Medieval Sources" Arelate Studio (2002) ISBN: 0-9718960-0-3
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